Suspended tramway



- (No Model.)

C. HQTHOMPSON, v SUSPENDED TRAIMWAYL:

P -mm WITNESSES:

UNITE STATES" PATENT O ICE.

CHARLES HENRY THOMPSON, BARTOW, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR'TO ALEXANDER E. BROWN,OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SUSPENDED TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,782, dated May15,1888. Application filed September 1, 1886. Renewed June 16, 1887.Serial No. 241,524. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY THOMP- SON, of Bartow, in the countyof Polk and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Ira--provementsin Suspended Tramways, of which.

the following is a full, clear, and exact discript-ion.

My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a suspendedtramway, especially adapted for the removal of logs from cytaken downand packed for removal or transportation. v

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts and details, as hereinafter fully'described, and then pointedout particularly in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of the tramway set up in position for use. Fig.2 is an enlarged detail end view of one section, showing the logcarrier,the track-rails, and stringers, being partlyin section and parts beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the joint of thetrack-stringers separated. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same united. 4

The series of pairs of legs A, which support the tramway, may be of woodor other suitable material, are hinged together at their upper ends,preferably by metal caps B, to increase the strength of the joint, andare provided with pointed metallic shoes 0 at their lower ends. When thetramway is to be arranged for use, the legs of the several pairs are setat angles with each other upon short stumps,logs, boards, or othersupports, with which engage the pointed shoes'O, to prevent the legsfrom Slipping.

The pairs of legs A are set at suitable distances apart, and those legson each side are connected alternately at intervals bycrossbraces Dandtie-rods E, which are jointed at their medial parts to increase theirportability.

The braces and tie rods are detachably secured ends.

to the legs by bolts, staples, or other suitable means. v

The'track-bed is formed of a series of stringers, F, suspended from theangles of the legs A by chains G, suitably attached to the legs,

and, to hook-clevises G,-connected witheyebolts H, passed verticallythrough the stringers and having nuts H screwed on their'lower Thestringers F are jointed together by having the end of one formed withsquare mortises F at opposite quarters thereof, to receivecorrespondingly-formed, tongues F on the end of the adjoining stringer.

Vertical apertures F are formed through the mortised ends to receive thebolt K, having nuts screwed on its upper and lower ends, whichbolt thusserves to pivotall y connect the stringers.

. A link, I, is engaged by metallic lugs or projections J on the,stringers F, a short distance from their jointed" ends, and thus serves1 to bind the stringers together, although allowing them a slightlateral movement, the ortised joint being formed accordingly with aslight play. v

. On each side of the top of the stringers F are supported-the parallelrails L, on which run the pairs of flanged wheels M, journaled in theupperends of the triangular frame N, having a V-shaped cross-section, soas to embrace the stringers. From a cross-bolt, 0, supported at thelower angleof the frame N, is suspended, by an ordinary clevis thepivoted tongs P, having pointed jaws to engage the log or stump, asshown in Fig. 2.

The frame N and tongs together-constitute a carrier, generally mountedon four wheels, M, as shown, two of which carriers are usually employedin moving alog.

When the legs and track-bed'are set up any inaccuracy in lining iscompensated for by means of a slotted bar, Q, connected detachably, byan ordinary clevis or otherwise,with' ceived in the slot and screwed inthe leg. Thus by loosening the set-screw'and adjusting the bar Qhorizontally the stringers F can be easily and accurately set in line.

This tramway can be set up very quickly in a swamp by resting thesupportinglegs upon tree-stumps, fallen trunks, boards, &c., andarranging the parts as described. A suitable hoisting apparatus will beattached to the bar 0 and to the clevis of the hook 1?, which isdetached from the bar The tongs can then be lowered to engage a log onthe ground, which can then be raised to the desired height. Thelog-carrier can then be easily moved by hand, or, in case very heavylogs are to be moved, a small motor may be used, of any approvedconstruction, which may run on the track similarly to the log-carriers.

In taking down the tramway for removal, all the parts being detachableand of comparatively-small bulk, the operation will be found extremelyconvenient.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the pairs of legs A, set at an angle with eachother, of the track-bed suspended freely between the legs, so as to becapable of sidewise movement, and an adjusting device for aligning thetrack-bed, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In combination with the suspended trackbed, the series of pairs ofsupporting-legs straddling the same, the legs of each pair being set atan angle with each other, and the braces D E, extending from one leg tothe succeeding one on each side of the track-bed, substantially asherein shown and described.

3. In a suspended tramway, the combination, with the supporting-legs, ofa track-bed carried thereby formed of stringers connected at theiradjoining ends by pivots, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. In a suspended tramway, the combination, with the supporting-legs, ofa track-bed carried thereby formed of stringers jointed together andconnected by links at their ends, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

5. In a suspended tramway, the combination, with the series of pairs oflegs A and braces E D, of the track-bed suspended by flexibleconnections from the legs,and a laterally-projecting bar connected withthe trackbed and adjustable on the legs, substantially as specified.

6. In a suspended tramway, the combination, with the legs or supports A,of the stringers F, flexibly suspended therefrom and having the adjacentends oppositely mortised and apertured to receive the pivoting-bolt andconnected by alink, substantially as specified.

7. In a tramway, the combination of the suspended stringers F, theparallel rails L on each side of the same, the V-shaped frame N, thewheels M, jourualed in the same,and the tongs P, suspended from theframe N, substantially as specified.

CHARLES HENRY THOMPSON.

Vitnesses:

H. T. GAY, P. W. DANIEL.

